Cloud Management

Blackboard Learn connects to cloud services using parameters specified in Cloud Management. These parameters set up a secure communication link between Blackboard Learn and any available cloud services by uniquely identifying this Blackboard Learn instance.

Cloud services include:

Partner Cloud, a network of partner publishers that streamlines our inventory of content integrations into a single registration and activation process

Blackboard Open Content, a cross-platform Learning Object Repository, which houses shareable, reusable content to be accessible to courses within several Learning Management System (LMS) platforms

User profiles, which enables users to view and create their personal identity

Cloud profiles are only available in the Original experience. If the Ultra experience is enabled, Cloud Profile and Tools no longer appears on the Administrator Panel. You can control user avatars in the Tools & Utilities menu.

Connect to the cloud

The cloud must be connected to your Blackboard Learn instance. On the Administrator Panel in the Cloud Management section, select Cloud Connector. The following table describes the available user interface elements.

Connecting the Cloud

Element

Description

Blackboard Learn Instance

External URL

Provide your school's Blackboard Learn public facing URL.

Display Name

Provide a display name to identify your school, such as your school's full name. Users will see this name on the People and Spaces pages.

Description

Provide an optional description for this Blackboard Learn instance.

Instance Type

Identify how this Blackboard Learn instance will be used in your environment. Select Development, Stage, or Test.

If you want to move to the production cloud, select Move to Production. The URL must be valid to move to the production cloud.

Site ID

A unique Site ID is assigned to your Blackboard Learn instance after it is registered.

Regional Cloud

This is the Amazon Web Services (AWS) region where your SaaS instance is hosted. Based on your region, some Learn features may not be available. Your institution is responsible for compliance with any applicable local laws regarding data locality.

Cloud Connection Status

Save Settings

Select this button if you are ready to submit your setting changes.

Move to Production

Select this button if you want to move this instance to the production cloud. You must have a valid URL to move to the production cloud.

If you move this instance to the production cloud, all cloud data will be deleted and this instance will be pointed to the cloud production servers. Users will have to recreate their profiles and spaces.

It is important that you verify that the External URL is a publicly accessible URL for this Learn instance. It is also important that you verify that the page displays the following success message: "This instance of Blackboard Learn has been successfully connected to the cloud." If you see a warning or error message instead, contact Blackboard Client Support to have this problem corrected.

Instance type

There are two instance types: production and non-production, which includes Stage, Test and Development.

By default the cloud connector page points to non-production servers. A watermark appears in the interface on all cloud features indicating that this instance is in non-production.

You can move your instance to point to the production servers. From the Cloud Connector page, select Move to Production. When an instance is moved from non-production to production all data on the non-production servers is deleted and will need to be recreated on the production servers. This means that users will have to recreate their profiles and spaces.

After the instance points to the production servers you cannot move back to the non-production servers. The only way to move to non-production is by cloning your machine or by using client support.

Check that the Instance Type is set correctly before upgrading.

Any Learn instances set to Stage, Test, or Development will be moved to NEW cloud servers and will lose all of their current Social Learning Cloud data. Production instances will continue to operate in the current cloud.

If the Learn instance is a Production system AND the Learn Instance Type is set to Production, your cloud settings are configured properly and no further action is needed.

If the Learn instance is a Production system but the Learn Instance Type is set to Test, Stage, or Development, you must change the Instance Type to Production before updating your system with the April version of Software Updates. If this step is not performed, users will no longer have access to their Social Learning data after the update.

If the Learn instance is a Test, Stage, or Development system but the Learn Instance Type is set to Production, you should change the Instance Type to Test, Stage, or Development to avoid polluting your production cloud environment with test data after the update.

If you need help setting up your Cloud Connector, contact Blackboard Client Support.

Detect cloned cloud settings

Blackboard Learn detects any cloned cloud settings and is turned off until this is resolved.

Make the appropriate selection:

Cancel

Retry: Try to reconnect with the cloud incase network issues were resolved.

If in staging, select Create New Site to create a new site. This will delete the current cloud data and will need to be created on the new stage site.

If in production, select Move to Non-Production to move to staging. This will delete the data on the production servers, which will need to be recreated on the staging servers.

Troubleshoot the cloud connection

This information applies only to the Original experience.

The More Information button appears on the Administrator Panel in the Software Updates section when a cloud connection registration issue exists, along with the following message, "There is a conflict with the Cloud Connection Settings. Select this button to resolve the settings to register your Learn instance to the cloud." Select More Information to access the Confirmation for Cloud Connection Settings page and make changes to resolve the issue.

Turn on the cloud

This information applies only to the Original experience.

After the cloud has been connected to your Blackboard Learn instance, turn it on to use the cloud services and tools.

To turn the Cloud on:

On the Administrator Panel in the Cloud Management section, select Cloud Profiles and Tools.

Select the On/Off switch to turn the cloud on.

Read through the Privacy agreement and select Accept.

This opens the Cloud Settings page.

After the Cloud Profile and Tools option is turned on, users have access to new tools and features.

Manage cloud settings

This information applies only to the Original experience.

The Cloud must be connected to your Blackboard Learn instance. The "Cloud Settings (Tools)" administrator privilege allows you to manage your Cloud Settings.

On the Administrator Panel in the Cloud Management section, select Cloud Settings. The following table describes the available user interface elements.

Cloud Settings

Element

Description

1. Course and Organization Name Usage

Identify how course and organization names will be displayed in the cloud service and tools.

Show Course/Organization Name: Introduction to Oceanography

Show Course/Organization ID: SCI110

Show Course/Organization Name followed by Course/Organization ID: Introduction to Oceanography SCI110

Show Course/Organization ID followed by Course/Organization Name: SCI110 Introduction to Oceanography

2. Submit

Submit

Select this button if you are ready to submit your setting changes.

Turn off the cloud

This information applies only to the Original experience.

Turn off the Cloud in Cloud Profiles and Tools the same way you turned it on. Select the On/Off switch to turn it off.

Any information created and aggregated to Cloud tools and services will no longer be available in your Blackboard Learn instance. For example, if users have created a profile and Cloud has been turned off, they can no longer have view or edit that profile from your Blackboard Learn instance.

The information created and aggregated to the Cloud tools and services are not deleted when Cloud is turned off, as they are stored in the Cloud. For example, if a user has created a profile and the Cloud is turned back on, the user-edited profile is restored.